


Chimera

by zosimos (trismegistus)



Series: Fullmetal Alchemist [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Community: 15_minute_ficlets, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-20
Updated: 2010-09-20
Packaged: 2017-10-12 00:58:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trismegistus/pseuds/zosimos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys get into a fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chimera

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt# 47. Stream-of-consciousness, unedited, save for a spell-check.

The chimera was large, about the size of a small elephant. Roy had seen an elephant once, brought across the desert from Xing - he had been very small at the time, and that only accentuated the beast's size. However, he was at a distance now, a safe distance from the creature, a mishmash of so many others that its original base was lost to all but its creator.

Its creator, who lay dead against the wall, head cocked at a funny angle and blood pooling from wounds where the chimera had gored it.

Fullmetal had rushed in, fool that he was; there was no saving the alchemist that created this thing, he had likely already been dead before the chimera threw it. But Fullmetal had hesitated that brief moment while clapping and the chimera focused in on him, instead.

Time and time again it was luck that the chimera honed in on the parts of the young alchemist that were easily replaceable. The creature's strong jaws clamped on Fullmetal's outstretched right arm even as Roy was yelling at him to duck, get out of the way. It lifted its head, muscles rippling along its extra-long, sinewy neck and Fullmetal yelled - something, Roy couldn't tell from this distance. Probably something vulgar.

Alphonse was running toward his brother, an invincible suit of armor but the chimera whipped its head, not releasing Edward but aiming some of the horns that bristled from its body at Alphonse. Alphonse might be fast but the chimera was faster, its tail slapping full across the helm of the suit of armor and sending Alphonse tumbling backwards into the opposite wall, tail over teakettle.

"AL!" Now he could hear Fullmetal, plain as day. Leave it to Edward to be more concerned about his brother's inanimate body than his own. Roy didn't even want to think about the stress being held by his automail arm was putting on Edward's body - Edward, who had flipped himself upside-down, wrapping both of his legs around the creature's snout and was trying to wrest his arm free, red coat flapping about like a matador's cape.

He was through waiting for the backup to arrive. Roy was wearing his gloves, he always wore his gloves and with no more hesitation he aimed his fingers and snapped.

Fire alchemy was not something that was usually used as a ranged weapon. Roy had perfected his transmutation circle and his mastery of this element in the military academy to a pinpoint accuracy. He couldn't shoot his gun as well as he could aim his fire alchemy, a mystery that plagued Lieutenant Hawkeye to this day.

The chimera that held Fullmetal's automail arm captive in its teeth let out a shriek of pain, jaws releasing Edward as its eyeballs exploded. Fullmetal let out a yelp as he tumbled, and somehow got his feet and hands under him like a cat, landing in a crouch and somersaulting backwards as the chimera's whip-like tail struck where he was standing mere moments before.

Roy heard Fullmetal clap but paid the younger alchemist no heed, this time aiming for the chimera's soft underbelly. Alphonse had regained his feet, was yelling something as he charged in, head and down and leading with his shoulder-spikes. He hit the chimera on its off-side - the thing couldn't smell the armor coming - and knocked it completely off-balance, onto its side.

This time, when Roy snapped, he aimed it for the open, gasping mouth of the wounded chimera. Alphonse's helmet was nearly blasted off his shoulders as the creature inhaled the fire. It burned from the inside, swallowing the fire into its lungs. The chimera didn't even make another noise as it died - it probably couldn't, it was likely the heat completely melted its vocal cords.

Edward ran to his brother, more concerned over the tumble Alphonse had taken than the fact that his arm was almost wrenched entirely out of its socket. Roy watched the brothers a moment - caught Edward's eye from across the courtyard when Edward glanced his direction, then turned as he heard military boots on the cobblestone. The backup had arrived promptly - exactly too late to be of any use except for the clean-up.


End file.
